New outlook at the agency too?
The change of command in the ISI has taken place at a crucial moment. The role played by the security agencies is under public scrutiny as never before. The security agencies are being widely accused for disappearances and extrajudicial killings at court proceedings, seminars and in the media. Early this month, referring to the incidents of missing people in Balochistan, the chief justice regretted that fingers were being pointed at the intelligence agencies. In the Adyala jail missing persons case, the Supreme Court expressed serious concern about the ISI and MI detaining people in violation of law. The relatives of missing persons camping outside Parliament House have roused sympathy in the public and drawn media’s attention.
The politicians, including those once in the good books of the ISI, are highly critical of the agencies meddling in politics. The admission in the SC by a former ISI chief that he distributed huge amounts of money among certain politicians at Gen Aslam Mirza’s orders constitutes another indictment of the agency. The agencies are under attack on two scores: for undertaking activities that do not come under their purview like political engineering and for violating constitutional guarantees provided to citizens and breaking laws. As the change in command takes place, there is an opportunity to improve the image of the ISI by turning it into a non-political, thoroughly professional and law abiding organisation. Gen Zahir who headed the ISI’s internal wing for almost two years is the best person to initiate the much needed policy change.
Gen Zahir takes over the charge amidst important changes in the regional scenario. The US which is scheduled to hand over fighting to the Afghan troops by 2014 is playing the endgame now. Hints thrown by Foreign Minister Khar reveal some of the contours of the new foreign policy that is to be formulated within weeks by parliament. She has rejected the concept of strategic depth achieved through military means or proxy war affirming that “The only way to do is through building trust with the Afghan state.” She has also maintained that good relations with neighbours are to be the corner stone of Pakistan’s foreign policy. The ISI’s outlook must not be out of sync with the country’s foreign policy.
